Stretcher.



No. 879,335. PATENTED FEB.18, 1908.. A LSOUTHMAYD.

STEETOHER.

APPLIOATION FILED $EPTQ 1''], 1906.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

a LM... M w

U I w w ATTORNEY.

be easily and readily placed underneath a A LINCOLN SOUTHMAYD, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

sTRE'rcHnR.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed September 17. 1906- Serial No. 334-883.

To all whom it may concern: 1'

Be it known that I, A LINCOLN Sorrrnt MAYD, a citizen of the United States, and a l resident of Viddletown, in the county of i ltliddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented anew and Improved Stretcher, of 1 which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices employed by undertakers or in the medical service for conveying bodies or sick or wounded persons. and the object of my invention is to provide a device of this class which may sick 01' wounded person with minimum pain i or inconvenience, and also one in which such I person may be removed therefrom with l 0 pain or inconvenience to such person; and l a further object of the invention is to provide a device in which a sick or wounded person may be easily carried with minimunrpain or inconvenience; and at'ur'ther object of the invention is to provide a. device that may be l readily placed in position to remove a. body from the water: and a. further object of the; invention is to provide a device in the use of which decomposed bodies may be handled and disposed of with minimum inconvenicnce to the persons handling the body.

A form of device in the use of which these objects may be attained is illustrated in thc accompan ing drawings, in \\'lticl\-- Figure l is a plan view of a stretcher (lllbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in section through the same on the line 2 -'.2 off" Fig. 1. Fig. I is a like \It-\\' but showing the supporting rods raised. Fig. 4 is an edge view of one of the removable support-mg; stra )S or carriers.

to a large extent of fabric and single lines ha vc been cm )l \'t tl 1n the drawings to represent the thicmcss of such fabric, the con- 'l w device illustrated herein is composed l formmg openings 9 extending completely;

through the bed. The crosswise and lengthl wise strips may be arranged and secured togetherin any desired manner, in the form shown each strip passing alternately over and under each of the crossing strips. At the place of crossing thestrips are preferably stitched together, as shown. in bile these strips are composed of canvas or webbing the manner ofconstructing the bed provides a fabric which will yield more or less in different directions thus shaping itself to the form of a body that may be placed thereon and the body of a sick or wounded person is therefore allowed to assume a comparatively eas and natural form. t

The crosswise extending strips are provided with loops 10 through which the rigid supports 6 are passed, these loops being of a size to allow the rods to be readily inserted or removed by a lengthwise movement.

Flexible supports 1 1, composed of canvas, webbing, leather or other suitable material are provided at each end thereof with loo s 12. These flexible su ports are removab y secured to the bed an any suitable number may be employed. In the form of structure shown three of the supports are located crosswise of the bed at intervals along its length. They may be removably secured in place as by means ot' buttons 13 on the bed passing E through button-holes 14 in the flexible supports. These flexible sup orts are so located on the .bed that thev \vil underlie a body placed thereon near the extremities and also at a point or points therebetween. \Vhere three strips are employed they are so located as to underlie the body at or near the shoulders, underneath the center of the body and at or near the feet.

A covering 15 of canvas, oil-cloth, or other flexible material may be placed above the flexible supports.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be sccn that a wounded or sick person may be readily placed upon the stretcher or removed therefrom, the flexible supports 1 being suitably placed underneath the body,

preferably with the covering 15 thereon. The rigid supports 6, which have been removed from the bed, are inserted through the loops 12 when the person may be raised and placed on the bed of the stretcher, or the bed of the stretcher placed underneath the person. The rigid supports being then inserted throu h the loops 10 the stretcher may be employed in the usual manner, the rigid supports being employed for carrying the person, and the arrangement of the cross strips and lengthwise strips causes the bed to shape itself tothe form of the person thereon.

When it is desired to remove the person the rigid supports 6 are inserted throughthe loo s12 and two attendants, one gras ing e'ae of the rigid su ports, may readily p ace the person on a bed or like device when the flexi 'le supports are readily removed and without un ue inconvenience to the person.

In order to adapt the device for under.

takers use, and especially for the removal of bodies from the water the central lengthwise extending strip 16 is provided with a reinforcing strip 17 stitched preferably lengthwise as at 18 and forming a pocket 19 for the reception of a weight 20. This weight preferably in the form of a rod or bar of metal, preferably of lead.

For undertakers use the flexible supports 11 may be dispensed with. In many instances a body when taken in char e by an undertaker is in the water and it will be seen that the bed may be readily moved under the body, the weight 20 causing the central ortlon of the stretcher to sink so that the w ole -may be readily moved and located under the the ends of the crosswise strips, and rigid ment to the edges of said bed, and flexiblesupports extending through and removably located within said loops.

2. A bed composed of lengthwise and crosswise extending strips secured together at the points of crossing, loops formed in the ends of the crosswise stri s, and rigid supports located within said oops.

3.-In a stretcher, a bed, rigid carrying supports arranged for removable attachsupports reinovably attacl'ied to the upper surface of said lied.

4. In a stretcher,- a bed, rigid supports arranged for attachment to the edges of said bed, and flexible supports removably attached to the upper surface of said bed and arranged to receive said rigid supports.

5. A bed composed of a 'lural number of crosswise and aplural num er of lengthwise extending strips, each strip crossing a plural -for removable attachmentto the ed reception of rigid supports,

longitudinally number of strips extending in the opposite direction, loops crosswise strips, a rigid support arrangedto be passed through said 100 s, and flexible supports .removably attache to said bed.

, 6. A bed composedof lengthwise and crosswise extending pieces secured together at the points of crossing, loops formed in the outer ends of crosswise pieces, rlgid supports arranged to extend through sai loops, and

removable su ports removably attached to the upper sur aceof'said bed.

7. A bed, rigid carrying supports arranged said bed, flexible supports removab y secured'to the upper sur ace'of said bed, and loops formed in the ends of said flexible supports.

8. In a stretcher,,..a lengthwise and crosswise suitably secured together, loops formed n the outer ends of crosswise strips for the the rigidsupports removably attached ace of said'bed and loops bed composed of ports, flexible su to theupper sur formed in the'endsof said flexible supports.

9. In a stretcher, a bed,- rigid supports arranged for. attachment to said bed, a weight constituting part of the device, and means for securing. said weight tothe bed alongpractica'lly its longitudinal center.

10. A bed 'comjipsed o'f flexible material and havinga poc et -extending lengthwise thereof, rigid supports arra e for attachment to the bed, and a weig t constituting part of the device arrangpd to be located in said pocket to de ress t e bed at its long tudinal center an at an end thereof.

11. A bed composed of stri s of material arranged crosswise each of t e otherand suitably secured together, said bed havinga pocket formed between the side edges, a

weight adapted to be inserted in said pocket,

and rigid supports arranged for attachment to the sides of'the bedLf f 12. A bed composed of lengthwise and crosswise strips suitably united at the points of crossing and with a pocket extending loops formedat the ends of rigid supports adapted to and a weight tobe tending piece, crosswise pieces, pass into said loops, located in said poc et.

A LINCOLN SOUTI-IMAY D. Witnesses:

HENRY S. BEERs,

E. BERTRANI) WArsoN.

extending strips of the central lengthwise QX formed attheends of the es of 

